Improvement in apparatus for separating- and concentrating- ores



3 Sheets-Sheet L APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING AND GO NOENTRATING ORBS.

No. 106,049. Patented Aug. 2, 1870.

: 3"SheetsSheet 2 A R GEORGE APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING AND GONOBNTRATING 0RES..

No. 106,049. Patented Aug. 2,1870.-

711: Nomus PETERS ca. PHOYO-LrTND-, WASHXNVGTON, D, c.

v 3 -S h eets- Sheet 3 R. GEORGE.

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING AND OONOBNTRATING ORES.

Patented Aug. 2,1870".

V )ig Min/04w.

actual state palm chitin.

Letters Patent N 106,049, dated August 2, 1870.

i IMPRG'V EMBNT IN APPARATUS FOR SEPARA'I'ING- AND CONCENTRATING ORES.

/ The Schedule referred. to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same- To all whont it may concern Be it known that I, Rosana: Gamma-of Denver City, in the couuty of Arapahoe, in the Territory of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Machine to Sift, Assort, Separate, and Size Useful and Valuable Minerals and Fossil Substances; and I'do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description of its construction and operation, reference being bad to the annexed drawings making a part of this specification, in which- Figure I, sheet 1, is'a longitudinal section and side view. a

Figure II, sheet 2, is a front elevation.

Figure III, sheet'3, is a transverse section on the line A B.

Figure 11V, shcet'3, is a vertical section on the line Figure V, sheet 3, is a plan on the line-E'E.

Similar letters, in blue ink, refer to similar parts throughout the several elevations and sect-ionsfi My machine is a combined sifter and separator, and

is designed and constructed to sift, separate, and size charged first on the finest sieve, and ,the portion remaining unsift-ed, being thegreatest bulk of the materials, was then successively run through sieves of increasing and varying coarseness, until the whole mass was sifted and assorted.

To this mode of operation is consequent the practical difliculty that thereby the finest sieves are overloaded, and subjected to the greatest weight and bulk of the materials to be sifted, and, as a consequence, they wear out very fast, especially when the materials to be sifted are of a considerable specific gravity, as, for instance, metals,.and mineral substances,or when they are of a sharp-edged fracture. lfurtherinore, by the charging and overloading of the finest sieves first with the bulk of the materials, the separation is imperfec-t, as the larger particles not only settle on the surface of the sieve, and thereby prevent the finer ones from passing through, but, being also possessed o fa greatercohesivc'powdr, they attract the smaller particles,

.and carry the same with them. Especially is this the case when the larger, particles are of an amorphous, porous, or irregular form, from all of which the operation is not only rendered defective, but' also impracticable. Especially is this the fact when mineral substancesof great fineness are being treated.

I n the construct-ion and operation of my combined sifter and assorter, I have endeavored to remove and cure all of the above difiiculties and imperfections, and thus securea perfect operation.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its constructiouand operation.

The machine consists of three main parts, viz:

First, the square box A, with the hopper B.

Second, the cylindrical sieves G.

' bird, the separator D.

The materials which it is intended to assort, sift, and size, are charged into the hopper B, through which the shaft (0 extends loi-igitudinally along the bottom part, which is there furnished with and encompassed by the endless screw a, whosc .ofiice is to cou- 'vcy. the materials to be sifted over the spout b, in regular quantities, into the cylindrical sieves 0, which said cylindrical sieve 0 consists of the shaft a, the inlet-plate ll, the exit-plate d, the sieves a c c" c, and

the rectangular bars f f f f, 850., and is constructed asfollow v The inlet-plate d is an iron circular plat-e, provided, on'the inside, (facing the sicve's,) with the circular flanges e c" c e, projecting rcctangnlarly, and, on the. outside part, with alconical flange, whose base is the plate, sutiicient-ly large to admit of the insertion of the spout I) from the hopper B, without friction. The exit-plate d" is the counterpart of the inlet plate cl, with the exception of the tlanges,-it being provided with only one corresponding flange, viz., 0. Both plates have correspondingperforations, through which' pass the rectangular bars f f, 850. The exit-plate ll is alsoprovided, on the outside, with an extendedconicalflange, through which the materials from sieve c are discharged.

The sieves c e do are cylindrical in form, and are made either of wire or perforated sheet metals, and are of different sizes and dimensions, decreasing in coarseness and size from the center, the innermost sieve being the coarsest and longest, the outermost the finest and shortest. These sieves are fastened to inlet-plate d by slipping them over the flanges 0 2 's 0*, and are then securely fastened in position by means of hoops ,g driven over the sieves, and so compressed and. fastened between the hoops and flanges. In like manner sieve 0 is fastened to exit-plate d. The other sieves, not extending to exit-plate d", rest on the rectangular bars f" f 820., which not only act as a support, but also preventthe sieves from bending or bulging out. The unfz' stcncd edges or endsof the sieves are placed between the iron bands or hoops g g, which hands or hoops are securely fastened to the rectangular bars by means of bolts, whereby the end of the sieves is se curely and immovably fastened. The bars f 1 f",

f\'c., are at iron, and are made of a rectangular shape or fnrm, so as to provide a base r support for the sievcs, \tlrlch rest npon and are fastened to them, as albrcsaid, and also to-fornr a wall, to which a parallel bar is bolted, aml between which the longitudinal ends of the wire or perliiratcd metal, fornringthesicvc, are passed, and, bv the compression, securely fastened,

\vhercby its cylinder form is given it. These rectangular bars are deprived of an angle at their-ends, forming thus a shoulder, which rests against the inlet nrnl exit-plates (1 (1", while the other angle is passed through the pcrlbratiou in said plates, as hct'clolin'e mentioned,

aml securely bolted by bolts 2" i". in this manner, a

solid, compact cylinder, nffour sicvcs, or more, as nee sity may require, is ibrnred,thc axis of which is the shaft 11, which passes through the center of the inlet and exit-plates (1 (1'', and is thereto securely l'astencd by keys or set-screws.

'lhesbaft a is supported by arnl rests on the journalboxes Ir h", and is nrovcd by a crank or pulley, l.

Journal-box It is attached and fastened to the outside frame-work in a slide, which is regulated by the znljusting-screw y, whereby the cylinder L can be raised or lowered, so that: the sieves will be either in a plane or incline, and thereby a speedy or slow discharge of the materials being sifted'is secured by this process. The bulk of the nraterials being sifted is minuted or pulverized statc,'thc dust thereof will in evitably mix in with the assorted mass. As this may he objectionable, especially when it is necessary to have the assorted particles of a uniform clean grain,] overcome and prevent this by introducing a blast of air into the boxA, containing the cylindrical sieve U, by means of the pipe F, which, connected with a blowing-machine, the current of air introduced, as above, prevents the settling of the duston the box A, but; forces it out, through the slot It, either into a chimney, 01' into the dusting separator 1), if attached, which last-mentioned machine cousin. of a series of four rectangular chambers, of successive aml increasing dimensions, the smallest of which is partially inserted into the next largest, and are. both fastened together laterally by means of iron strips placed in an equilateral triangular manner, the base of which terminates in the buckets marked (1 If, &e., and which also form the shafts m a 0. To these is fastened the next, largestchaurhcr, and then the largestchambcr,'ir r like the egress ot'the dust, air, &c.

This cap is furnished on the top with a hopper, (i, into which the materials are placed, 'and from which they pass through an intcrsticc govcrnedby a damper, and pass onto a corrugated roller, 11', from thence. to be emptied down through the. charnhers above mentioned.

The construction of this apparatus is based rrpon the principle that air, steam, water, or any fluid, when forced through a pipe, will exert a power of pressure in a ratio equal to the velocity of its force. This power of pressure will be exerted on all bodies thatobstruct or impede its passage or exit.

'hen the obstructing or impeding bodies consist of particles in an undetached or loose state, the same will be lirrccd along by this pressure until their resistance, being th ir weight, overcomes the same. This pressure is diminished and lessened in proportion to the increasingwidth of the pipe, until wholly lost in the. counteracting atmospheric pressure, or until its three. and power are expended. v

great many ores, especially silver, are deposited in the cavities oft lre quartz rocks in a state of pulverizatiou equal to that of ochcr, or in such minute particles, and when these rocks are crushed these ores are. to be found only in a finely pulverized state, which is also the case with argentifcror'rs, galena, and other ores, when crushed with the accompanying quartz rocks. Therefore it. is that, even by the best, European methods fhrdressing arnl separating the variable ores, more than twenty-live percent. is wasted and carried off with the refuse of rocky matters, as dust. lfthisdustcontaining these valuable metals is tbrced into the ap' paratus 1) by astrong current of air through the slot 1: as aforesaid, these particles whose specific gravity is not sutiicient to overcome the pressure of this current of air will be raised to the. top of the pipe 1, into thechambcr Ill, whereas the heavier particles will have fallen down into the bucket (1'.

As chamber in is considerably wider than I, the pressure ot'thc current; is a lessened accordingly, and therefore the next heavier particles drop into the shafts m and into bucket- (f. The balance will be forced up charrrhcr or into chamber n, which, being still larger, the pressure is still less proper-tionately. Consequently, the next heavier particles fall into shafts n, and from thence into buckets lfand q. The rcstis forced up through chamber 11- into chamber 0, whose dimensions are still greater, and wherein the pressure e,\' erted is still less; and the next heavier particles are deposited in shafts 0, through which they fall intethc buckets q and q. The renraiuderrs forced up through chamber 0, and out; of the apertures p' f with the escaping current, and lost, in the atmosphere as dross.

The buckets q q q q are sceuralat the bottom of the shafts I, on, n, and o in a balancing manner, hauging suspended from the lean side of the same on pivots r, r", r, &rc.

To these buckets is attached, lengthwise, a lever, s, s, & c., in a rectangular manner. As these buckets are evenly balanced, it is evident that, as soon as --any n'ratcrials whatsoever fall into them, they will open aud'discharge the same. To keep then, shut, the

weightzw is attached ,to the long arm of they lever,

whereby they are prevented from opening until such a certain quantity of materials shall have accumulated, whose weight is sufficient to overcome, and raise this weight; so attached, upon which the bucket will'open arnl empty its contents, or so much thereof as is necessary to restore the cquipoise, when the weight inrmediately closes it again.

The bottonrofthe sifting-box A terminates in a trough extcnding' lnpnghontits entire length, which is divided into various compartments, forming the l'c-- spcctivc cha'r'ubersjjffijj", the bottoms of which are movable am] detached, and are secured and operate in alike rna-uncr as the buckets q, Sac. By this contrivance the tilling up of the same is prevented, at

. the same time there is always such an amount of material retained as is snliieient, to render them air or water-tight.

\Vhc'n uriueral substances-arc. in a very comminnted state, it is in most cases very diliicnlt to size and assortthem by sifting, as the required minutencss of the. meshes of the serve renders them very easily clogged and nncmlurahlc, inasmuch as the fineness of wireganze necessary f r their crnrstrnction is easily corin so far as is necessary to insure asutficient discharge mwould, lessen the pressure in a proportionate deof quartz rock, whose specific gravity is about 2.6, and 1 iron pyrites, whose specific gravity is about 5, the

be ascertained andmeasured by theinanometer, or

rented. Therefore, in these cases, the materials to he assorted should be first treated in apparatus D, which )5 clone in the following manner:

'i he ccmminnted particles are charged into thehopper G, the bottom of which is governedby the dam por 1, which is regnlatedby the screws when, and by means of which the aperture is widened or narrowed of materials therethrough to fill the-corrugations of the roller H, or such quantities as may be required for successful operation.

The roller H discharges. its contents-in such amanner'that the same fall is a direction perpendicular with the center of the chamber 1, the air, or whatever agent is made use of, being int-reduced into the apparatusD through the pipe It, being forced upward, comes into contact. with the falling particles, and those particles whose weight is sufficient to overcome. the pressure of this current continue in their descent and fall into bucket q; whereas, the next heavier particles willbe separated from the mass and forced into chamber m, from thence into shafts m,;-where they drop into bucket q; while the next heavier ones, find their way into shafts n, and the next into shafts 0, while the lightest particles are forcedout through the apertnresp p, in the manner already fully described and set forth.

It is apparent, from the foregoing operation, that particles are separated according to their weight, and, as a consequence, the assortedparticies, though of a uniform weight, will vary and dilier in their dimenaions and size. To instance, if the current of air in the chamber 1 has a pressure suflicient to-carry with it particles weighing one grain, particles of this speciflc gravity would be deposited in buckets g for the reason that the increased dimensions of the chamber gree, and therefore would be insuflicient to force the particles of one grain weight any higher.

Now, if the particles deposited in bucket q consist articles of quartz will beabout double the size of the ron pyrites, though both particles weigh one grain.

Thus it will be seen that, by the use of my combined sifter and assorter, a separation of minerals and fossil substances, according to their nature or quality, as, for instance, quartz from iron pyrites, galena, cop-- per, 8m, different in their specific gravity, can be had without the aid or application of any other machinery.-

The degree of pressure exercised by the introduced current of air, or whatever agent is made use of, can

by a water-gauge attached tothe several chambers.

What I claim asmy invention and desire to secure by Letters patent, is--:

1. The process of assorting minerals or fossil substances of different specific gravity, according to their. nature or quality, by means of a pressure brought to hear on them by forcing a current of air through a l 4. The cylindrical sieve 0, consisting of a series offour or more cylindrical selves, the one encompassing theother, and graded, so that the coarsest and longest sieve will be the center or inside one, and the shortest and finest the outside one, together with the manner of constructing inlet-plate d and exit plate 11 and their appendages alsothe rectangular bars f, f, 8501, withtheir manner of fastening; also, the mode of fastening and securing sieves c c c c to inlet-plate 1 d, to exit-plate d, andto the rectangular barsfflf", 8w. 5. The manner of putting the cylindrical sieve 0 together and fastening it to shaft a.

6. The construction of the box A, with its trough divided into the compartments 9" j j jjfi together. Y

with their movable and detached bottoms 1:, constructed and operating in manner described and set forth, together with the hopper B, its method of operation and manner of attachment and construction, and also the-mode of attaching journal-box h, so as to allow it to slide, thereby'rcgulating the cylindrical sieve 0, and placing it .either on a plane or incline, and also the slot It.

7. The process of introducing a current of air, water, or any other fluid into thebox A, and forcing the same through the sieves 0, 8m, thereby separating and carrying off the dust from the sifted materials, and forcing the same through the slot it into the dnst separ 1301' D; I

8. The construction of the dust-separator D, as explained and set forth, consistingof a series of four or more chambers of increasingdimensions, and fastened together by-inserting the end of one into the other, and'fastening them laterally together by strips placed to form an equilateral triangle, and opening intotiie buckets q q q (1, also, for the manner of construct ing and operatiugvthe said buckets q, 800.

9. The manner of constructing the cap covering the largest chamber, so as to form the aperture pl- 1), the hopper H, and providing the same with the damper'r,

regulated by the screws U U, and'for the corrugated roller B, its manner of attachment and mode ofoperation.

10. The process ofoperatiugthe separator D, that I 

